Really, really great. I could not stop reading. I was drawn in from the first chapter. I love when the characters have a personal history the side characters are well developed. Emotional, I was tied up with the feelings of these two. The stakes felt very real, and I wondered how they were ever going to work it out. This was my first Emily Sullivan book, and I’m going to find her back catalog now.

Another charming and delightful story from Emily Sullivan. Phoebe is a bluestocking who has decide to forgo the marriage mart in favor of teaching at a school for impoverished girls. Will is her childhood friend who had a Dukedom fall into his lap and has felt uncomfortable in his skin ever since. Together they join forces to search for her missing student and I knew this story was going to be good when within the first chapter Will rescued her from jail. This story has a little bit of mystery and intrigue and a lot of heart and Easter eggs to Pride & Prejudice ("Most ardently!"). This new series has a lot to be excited about and I love the relationship with Phoebe and her sisters Alex & Freddie--I can't wait for their installments!

Many thanks to Forever Grand Central Publishing & Netgalley for the ARC.

Emily Sullivan is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors for fresh, entertaining, hard-to-put-down, Victorian romance. Duchess Material is the newest addition to her list of books that have kept me eagerly reading late into the night, unwilling to stop until the final page is turned with a swoon-worthy HEA secured.

Let me start by saying I adore Phoebe Atkinson. She checks so many of my Victorian heroine boxes: independent, engaged, kind, inquisitive, focused; a social and educational activist determined to provide opportunities for all women and girls, regardless of financial or social standing. I enjoyed her journey, her growth, and the lessons she learned, especially pertaining to her family, society, career, and, of course, her relationship with Will.

Did I mention growth? Boy howdy, does Will ever have one doozy of a growth arc. It's understandable that he feels duty bound to the dukedom he unexpectedly inherited at the age of eighteen. It's been the totality of his life for the past decade and he's determined to do right by it, including choosing a wife who is perfect duchess material. How fun it was to watch his entire plan be knocked sideways by one request for help from his best friend's little sister, the now grown woman who had fascinated him as a teen and, unfortunately for his duchess hunt, still does.

The relationship journey Will and Phoebe embark upon is filled with steam, snappy banter, a bit of a mystery, hijinks in disguise, family dynamics, self discovery, a vibrantly depicted secondary cast of characters, and a hard-earned happy ending. I enjoyed every bit of it.

I have my fingers crossed that Sullivan has more books planned for this family. I'm thoroughly invested in the lives of Phoebe's two sisters, Alex and Freddie, who both deserve books of their own.

4.5 Stars
ARC received from publisher via NetGalley

I haven’t loved a regency era romance book quite this much since reading the Duke and I by Julia Quinn. This book is smart and funny and hot! I love Phoebe- she’s everything I love in a FMC-strong, fierce, not afraid to speak her mind. I wish there wasn’t so much miscommunication but I can at least understand its place in this story!

I love the premise of this book. I am so intrigued by the pursuit of the heroine, and how the relationship between the hero and heroine develops in a way that is both interesting and enthralling at the same time. The plot and characters in a historical romance are often of such comfort to me and this book is a delight from start to finish.

historical romances are usually a hit or miss for me and this was, unfortunately, a miss. I couldn't really connect to the characters.

thank you to net galley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by Emily and I was pleasantly surprised. I had expected just other story of lost friends who meet again. Wow, was I wrong, Phoebe is the seconded daughter in a family of three girls. All as different as night and day. Alex is the oldest and has a head for business and works with their father making deals and money. Phoebe is the bluestocking, loves books and helping others. She is living on her own! Wow, instead of the family home, keeping her parents' status a secret. She is a teacher for young ladies from the poorer side of life or just above it. She wants to make a difference. When one of her students goes missing, she tries to find out where she is. This lands her is jail! The only person she can call is an old friend of her brothers, who just happens to be a Duke. They have not spoken or seen each other since they were sixteen and he found out he would be a Duke. That news changed William Margraves life not all for the better. He is shocked when he finds Phoebe there. As he is dragged into helping her find her student and try to keep her out of trouble these two find a lot about the past and what they thought was wrong. Both had and have strong feeling for the other. There is the mystery about the student and why she just up and disappeared, a murder, some very interesting people they run into. Alex is a Hugh help and one of the few who sees what is right in front of their eyes. Freddie is a treat; she will make you laugh and also see what she keeps hidden with her flirting ways. I didn’t like William's mother she doesn’t seem to understand him or what taking over the Dukedom has done to him. Phoebe and William will have to find a way to overcome their past before they can have a future. Lots of secrets, misunderstanding and loss must happen first. There are twist and turns in this story you will not see coming. Great read and I will add this author to my reading list. I want to thank her for the ARC. This is my honest opinion and am freely giving it.

Huge thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. I had previously read one of Ms. Sullivan's previous works, part of the League of Scoundrels, and I want to say that I enjoyed Duchess Material a lot more. With how wildly popular regency romances have gotten in the past years it's always a real treat to find a book set in the victorian era. For starters, I absolutely loved the platonic friendship between Will and Alex! It's such a refreshing take on the best friends sister trope, really enjoyed that. Will and Phoebe's enemy to lovers journey mixed with the missing student mystery was beautifully paced. The set up for two more books in the series is there, and I really hope they come to fruition.

This is an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, steamy and action-packed. I enjoyed this book and would read more books by this author.

Charming late-Victorian romance

Will was unexpectedly elevated to role of duke, leaving behind his childhood friend, Phoebe. Years later, she's in a legal bind and calls upon her connection to him to ask for his help. Owing to the fact she's the younger sister of his best friend (Phoebe's sister, not brother, in a refreshing change), he finds himself helping her investigate the disappearance of one of her students.

The class distinctions are the main obstacle to their romance, which was a bit off-putting at first, as Will makes it clear that while he likes Phoebe as a friend, there's no possible way she could be considered "duchess material." The only thing that made his snobbery easier to accept was the exact opposite attitude from Phoebe - it's not that she doesn't think she would measure up, rather, she absolutely abhors the nobility and all the indolence it stands for.

When circumstances progress to the point where there is real risk, Will resorts to what I like to call a "Darcy proposal" which only gives Phoebe the opportunity to set him straight on all accounts. This dichotomy of opinion forces them both to examine their core beliefs in light of their intense attraction and deep friendship.

I took me a while to get into the story, but once it got going I was hooked. The investigation is full of twists and surprising turns, and all mysteries are resolved by the time our couple gets their HEA. I do enjoy this author's world building and charming characters, and recommend this book for anyone who enjoys historical romances. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Phoebe is not “duchess material”. She’s a working-class middle daughter, a bluestocking, an activist, a school teacher with no time for frivolity. And as our book opens she’s adding felon and amateur sleuth to her list of accomplishments. And why would it matter whether or not she’s duchess material? Because of course a duke can’t stop thinking about her.

Will has known Phoebe since they were children, so it’s only natural he should come to her aid when she needs a bail out- literally. It turns out she’s trying to find a missing student, and Will is eager help. Obviously, it’s a romance so you can guess what happens next. 🌶️

So, here are my issues. I don’t like Phoebe. It’s a me problem. I love my {real life} women strong and bad ass, full of agency. Political heroes for the modern world. 👏🏻 I like my literary heroines….less so? Or like, maybe just shut up about it a little? Phoebe felt very grandstand-y. Self congratulating. Judgmental in a young selfish way. Ick.
Will is a new Duke. From a working class family?! Why would he ever be hung up on what type of duchess he should have? It doesn’t seem on brand for his characterization based on who he is. It’s like the concept for each character became their sole driving force and at times became large chunks of dialogue that consumed the story and took away from the actual romance. It’s a fun concept, it just wasn’t for me. 3 ⭐️
Thanks to NetGalley and to Forever Publishing for providing this arc, in exchange for my unbiased review.

I enjoyed this story set in the late 19th century about a young man who had unexpectedly inherited a dukedom and felt obligated to find a worthy wife. That woman shouldn’t be his childhood friend, Phoebe, who is unconventional. Instead of looking for a husband, she is working as a teacher for underprivileged girls and living in a small apartment with a fellow teacher instead. Phoebe and Will team up to solve the mysterious disappearance of one of her students. And, of course, they’re strongly attracted to each other.

I found Phoebe a more appealing character than Will who seems too overawed about being a duke. He is voting conservative but not out of any true principles and is only now realizing that he should be a liberal and support reform. He’s very conveniently super rich unlike most nobles of that period. And he doesn’t know how to convince Phoebe that they would actually make a good match even though she doesn’t want to be a duchess.

This looks set to be a series with Phoebe’s sisters who are both interesting and different sorts of characters. I look forward to reading their adventures.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

A delightful blend of romance and mystery!

I loved this book and its characters. I loved Phoebe, the heroine. She has a strong-willed and independent personality. She does not follow societal rules. Will, the hero, is a more conformist member of society. Phoebe will confront him through a partnership in a missing person investigation.
I enjoyed Phoebe and Will's relationship development. I also liked the secondary characters, Phoebe’s sisters, and I look forward to reading their stories.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Duchess Material may be my first Sullivan romance, but not my last. What most excited my romance reading heart was Sullivan’s promise: Duchess Material was uneven and there be reasons, but it was wonderfully written, smart, and deeply consciously respectful of the genre. When I read the author’s final note on her research, I appreciated it even more: how seamlessly she integrated her research on the late-Victorian feminism and the state of women and girls. And yet, how sympathetic she made her hero and how beautifully positive she made the HEA…because everyone gets what and who they want. The journey is equally important for the heroine as it is for the hero: their rigid hold on assumptions and set-in-their-ways ways must give way to something new, more original, and truly happy, a viable, tangible HEA made of change of heart. But enough of my blah-blah, here’s the publisher’s blurb to orient us to the who and happenings:

Phoebe Atkinson is what society might call unconventional. Instead of marrying well like other women born to wealth, she chose to be a schoolteacher. Not to mention she lives in a leaky flat in an unfashionable part of town rather than stay in her parents’ mansion. But when her most promising pupil goes missing she has only one option: beg her sister’s best friend, the powerful Duke of Ellis, for help.

The last thing William Margrave ever expected was to inherit a dukedom. But now that he has it, he’s determined to act the part perfectly—and that includes marrying the perfect duchess. A bluestocking Bohemian schoolteacher is decidedly not duchess material. But he can’t resist her plea for help regarding her missing student.

As they fall further into the mystery, William discovers that he never got over his childhood crush on Phoebe, and he doesn’t really want to.

The blurb puts an overemphasis on William’s feelings, that is, his still-feelings for Phoebe, but those feelings are mutual and what tore them asunder is even more interesting. Just as a younger Phoebe was blossoming and she and William were making tentative steps to each other, being of a mutual class, that is middling, and neighbouring estates, William learns he is suddenly, precipitously, the future heir to a dukedom. Still grieving his father’s recent loss, his mother sends him to the still-living duke, a stranger, for ducal training.

One of William’s most attractive traits is his deep sense of responsibility. Though barely out of his teens, he took his place as the family’s head and transferred that sense of duty to everything. While a dukedom comes with great privileges and, years later, William has learned to enjoy some, he mainly works hard at maintaining the properties, caring for those who work for him, and making his parliamentary work primary. But duty calls in other ways, the necessity of an heir and his choice is perfect “duchess material”, a cold, boring fish of a beauty. Until Phoebe calls on him as an old family friend whose ducal rescuing powers can get her out of a bind: her arrest for trespassing when she went looking for her missing student in the wrong, read dangerous, place.

William and Phoebe have avoided each other for years, skirting what was a painful time: William’s departure and Phoebe’s hurt at his loss? indifference? While William, in truth, was unhappily taking up the ducal mantle and horribly missing the life he had planned for himself, becoming a barrister like his father, connecting to Phoebe. Now nearing thirty, William has stood at ducal attention for years and it’s time he gave himself joy. But when that joy comes in the form of a “bluestocking teacher” with progressive ideas and no interest in marriage, especially one that will take her away from her vocation, William has to learn to relinquish his rigid control and make way for happiness.

In turn, Sullivan didn’t make Phoebe an unbending cause-driven paragon, but a heroine who had to go on her own journey to overcome her judgy-judgy self about dukes, marriage, and convention. Phoebe has held a torch for William since they grew up alongside, but her path took her so far away from him, only a necessity could bring them together…in the form of using his ducal privilege to get her out of jail and back to the classroom and search for her student. Phoebe is as rigid about what she thinks her life should look like as William. Sullivan, however, creates families, especially Phoebe’s sisters and their respective mothers, who bring the truth of their hearts to them: giving them those much needed talks about love and marriage and being together on the basis of mutual understanding and respect rather than holding on to stiff ideas about what they should do and who they should be.

Lastly, I appreciated what Sullivan did in the search for Phoebe’s student: with subtlety and sympathy she told the story of Victorian women and girls caught in straitened circumstances who turn to sex work. This made Phoebe’s school even more important because it gave girls opportunities for making livings that kept them safe and gave them agency. When William, with Phoebe’s “schooling,” also takes up this cause, in his parliamentary work in particular, it made the romance even deeper. And yet, I initially said it was uneven and I stand by that: a wonderful opening and terrific last quarter with a less-than-middling middle because I thought the narrative lost its way, Will and Phoebe were apart too much and lacklustre filler scenes took over. Nevertheless, it’s great to find a historical romance writer of such merit to see where she takes the genre, especially because Duchess Material‘s ending felt like sequel-bait and I am here for it. Miss Austen would agree, deeming Duchess Material “real comfort,” Emma.

Emily Sullivan’s Duchess Material is published by Forever and released today, November 19. I received an e-galley from Forever via Netgalley. The above is my honest, AI-free opinion.

Duchess Material is a delightful blend of romance, mystery, and a touch of intrigue. As a fan of historical romance, this one hit all the right notes for me.

The chemistry between William and Phoebe was fantastic. I loved their history—unrequited feelings and childhood crushes make for such satisfying tension! Phoebe’s independence and determination really stood out. She and her sisters are strong, capable women, which made this story feel both modern and true to the shifting roles of women during this period. The romance was layered beautifully alongside the mystery of Phoebe’s missing pupil, which kept me turning the pages.

The author did a wonderful job capturing the time period while still giving us a refreshing take on the typical regency romance. It was a nice break from romantasy and had just enough intrigue to keep things exciting.

My one critique would be the ending. The cliffhanger felt a little out of place, and the introduction of “The Nun” as the overarching villain didn’t quite resonate with me. That said, it’s clear this is setting up for a series, and I’ll happily pick up the next installment to see where it goes.

If you love historical romance with a strong heroine, sizzling tension, and a dash of mystery, I’d definitely recommend this one!

Another really enjoyable book from Emily Sullivan! Phoebe is the middle daughter in a family with ties to society and business, but she has shunned both in order to teach working class ladies. Will was simply the neighbor boy who was best friends with her older sister, Alex, until he was suddenly found to be the only living relative to inherit the Dukedom. Something that would damage Phoebe and Will's budding friendship and cause further stress in Will's family. Current day, William is on the hunt for the perfect duchess while proving he can handle his own as Duke when he receives the strangest request. Phoebe is desperate for help after being caught trespassing while attempting to find a missing student and figures maybe invoking the name of a very important family friend will improve her situation. Jabs and sparks fly when Phoebe and Will meet again after years of avoiding each other, a feat considering Alex and Will are still besties. Although he doesn't really have the time, Will feels compelled to help Phoebe find her missing student and the story goes from there.

I really liked both Phoebe and Will. They are both very stubborn characters and there were some subtle references to Pride and Prejudice that I also really liked. Phoebe's arc has her coming to terms with the limits of her ability to help and how she needs to listen to those she is trying to aid for the best ideas while also navigating a reconciliation with her disapproving father and making up with her older sister with whom she'd had a disagreement. Will also has to work out some family issues, as well as to relearn what he actually cares about and get the courage to do what he knows he should have been doing. I won't say more than that as it will get into spoiler territory. I also really liked their relationship as we have flashbacks to them growing up together and having little childhood crushes, but we also see them in present day finding new things that they like about each other. Even though they do have some misunderstandings and miscommunications, their relationship overall is very cute. I just really appreciate that for the most part Sullivan's heroes are not overbearing or demanding.

As for secondary characters, I did spend a good amount of time trying to figure out who the next couple could be. I can't help it! It's so fun. Phoebe's sisters are so much fun, and I'm sure that they will be our heroines at some point. Alex comes across as cold and calculating with a head for business and numbers, but she has such sweet moments of trying to encourage the people around her. I think she is my favorite. I have theories about who her love interest could be. Freddie is the baby sister, a heartbreaker and socialite. She would be really fun to follow as well. I liked that we got a little bit of depth to her as well at certain points. Will has a brother who stays in the country after an accident but seems to be very content. I liked him as well and hope we might be able to see more of him later!

This book had the perfect mix of mystery and romance for me with some humor dashed in there. I really loved this book, and I'm really excited to see whose story is next!

I enjoyed reading Duchess Material by Emily Sullivan. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

Historical romance fans, Duchess Material needs to be added to your TBRs! This was such a fun, swoony read!

Will unexpectedly inherited a dukedom when he was 18 years old. Ever since that day, he’s been the epitome of a duke, following society’s expectations. Now, he must find the perfect bride. Only things don’t go as planned. Soon he is reunited with his old friend’s sister, Phoebe. Phoebe needs Will’s help finding her missing student. Phoebe is not Duchess material on paper. But he finds himself enjoying her company more than he ought to

If you’re looking for a book that will make you smile with every page you turn, you should check out this book!

Thank you Forever for the arc. All thoughts are my own.

This book took place in the Victorian era and not in the Regency which I generally prefer. That being said, it dealt with the usual frustrating social issues. Phoebe was from a wealthy family, but she chose to live independently and work as a schoolteacher. Personally, having had to work my entire life, I couldn't really relate to that concept at all. Will, who inherited his title unexpectedly, had a different sort of dilemma. He had been working hard for years to feel worthy of being a duke. Marrying a proper duchess, was an essential part of his plan.
Will and Phoebe had been close when they were younger. Will's newly elevated station had put an end to their friendship. Now, years later when they met again as adults, Will was immediately faced with how improper Phoebe actually was. She needed him to bail her out!
The story had a lot of frustrating back and forth. I was sympathetic towards Will but I thought that Phoebe was annoying. However, I did enjoy the mystery storyline. I received a free ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

♡ Thank you for the free ARC and book, author Emily Sullivan, Forever, and NetGalley.

I love historical romance, so I was over the moon to read this early copy. I also adore beautiful covers and books by authors that I have not yet read. So, this book ticked a few boxes before I even began reading it.

I got everything I wanted and more from this story. Phoebe was a strong and lovely FMC while Will was the perfect match. Together, their chemistry produced a spice level that I did not expect! With a little something for everyone—from mystery to romance—this was a quick and enjoyable read.